Here in the British Isles it is understood that the Saxon kings avidly practised the art of falconry. By the time of the Norman Conquest, royalty, nobles and clergy used falcons and hawks for sport. While falconry was perceived as an aristocratic pastime, plebeian Brits were also using raptors to catch game and wildfowl for the pot.
When the Boke of St Albans was written in 1486 by the rather racy sounding sporting nun Juliana Berners, she prescribed a neat list of which bird of prey was suitable for each level of social strata. She opined that eagles could adorn the arm of an emperor; kings carried eagles while their sons could fly a peregrine. Looking down Dame Juliana’s list, it would appear I may just scrape into the mix with a kestrel, which as we all know is fit for a knave.
Thankfully in the intervening 533 years since the Boke of St Albans was penned, falconry has become significantly less socially exclusive. Heartened by this new egalitarianism I was delighted to accept an invitation by my good friend, gamekeeper Paul ‘Hardy’ Hardcastle. On the last day of the game season, he was to host a group of sportsmen who wanted to pit their peregrines against his grey partridges. I imagine the sporting Abbess would have been spinning in her grave at this — not one prince was to be found in the assembled ranks.
Trusted hands
Falconers, if the group Andy Hulme had assembled are anything to go by, are two things. First, very jolly. Secondly, obsessives about their birds. Andy is a great character. I first met him at Hardy’s shoot at Benningham Hall in mid-Suffolk early this season. A regular in the beating line, Andy is one of the ‘trusted hands’ of the hard-to-impress Hardy.
Denne historien er fra January 20, 2021-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
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Denne historien er fra January 20, 2021-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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United we stand
Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
They're not always as easy as they seem
While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make
A step too far?
Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work
Two bucks before breakfast
A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside